Where will future tours go?
While New Zealand was the “unanimous” choice for the 2027 tour, France and North America have been touted as possible hosts for future women’s tours, which would deviate from traditional tourist locations in the men’s game.
“We spoke to lots of different countries around the world as you would expect and the good news is that there was lots of interest,” said Calveley, who remained tightlipped on what other nations were mooted as part of long-term plans. “New Zealand are back-to-back world champions and such a rugby-loving nation that the level of competition for 2027 would be significant.”
Won’t it be full of English players?
The short answer is yes. While the women’s rugby landscape could change over the next three years, it is hard to see the first women’s Lions team being truly representative of each of the home nations. England, who will be heavy favourites to win a fifth consecutive Women’s Six Nations this year, were the first women’s side to benefit from professional contracts five years ago. Wales, Scotland and Ireland have been slow to follow suit, although with a large contingent of non-English players now playing their club rugby in England’s top flight, Premiership Women’s Rugby, that could soon change.
Who is paying for it?
Money is often a sticking point in women’s rugby which, for the most part, operates at a loss compared with the riches awash in the men’s game. For context, the Red Roses’ historic Grand Slam finale at Twickenham last year, which attracted a crowd of 58,498 in May, brought in around £1million for Rugby Football Union. Calveley, however, has promised the 2027 women’s tour will be a commercially sustainable enterprise, having already secured two commercial partners in Royal London and Howden.
What are the next steps?
The Lions will put together an advisory group that will be tasked with mapping out the finer details for the 2027 tour, including what the warm-up fixtures will be, recruiting a coaching team and what TV coverage will look like. “We know we’re playing three Tests against the Black Ferns, but the rest of the programme will be determined and really importantly, be put together in line with female-specific player-load guidelines that are currently being worked on by World Rugby and the International Rugby Players’ Association,” explained Calveley.
What does this mean for the wider women’s game?
Being selected to play for the first women’s Lions team could be the pinnacle of some players’ careers. The Lions brand undoubtedly carries prestige and its – some would argue overdue – venture into the female game should attract more eyes on women’s rugby. But the idea of the world’s best home-grown players pitting themselves against six-time world champions New Zealand will do little to develop the competitive landscape of the women’s game. In fact, the concept could hardly be further from what World Rugby are trying to achieve through WXV, the global women’s competition which launched last autumn to give developing nations on the women’s scene more Test opportunities.
